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GALVA – Galva High School’s decision to leave the Mid-County co-op with Oneida and Williamsfield in a dispute over who gets to host football games made Friday night’s contest the last one that school will host for the foreseeable future, and the crowd turned out to share in the experience.
Marquette Academy’s football team wanted no part of that controversy.
The Crusaders were just there to score touchdowns and win a game.
That they did.
The excitement of the homecoming, coupled with the last game there, sparked the winless Cougars into an inspirational effort the entire night, including a scoreless first quarter.
However, the Crusaders recovered from their lackadaisical start and started to pound back at the hosts, scoring twice in the second quarter on an Alex Graham 1-yard sneak and his scoring strike to Logan Nelson to send Marquette on its way to a 30-0 blanking of Mid-County.
Shane Reynolds rushed 17 times for 128 yards and two second-half touchdowns, and Graham finished the night 4 for 4 for 108 yards and one score as MA finished the pandemic-shortened season with a 4-2 mark against the Lincoln Trail Conference slate.
The Cru defense bent, allowing 116 yards, but didn’t break, while the offense shook off the doldrums with 261 ground yards on 41 carries. Graham’s big day gave MA 369 total yards.
“In the second quarter, we just woke up and realized they were in a game against a team that plays good ball,” MA coach Tom Jobst said. “We tackled better for the most part after the first quarter. … But we knew from watching the tape that these guys would hit. They come out, and you saw it clear to the end here tonight. They played hard right to the end. That’s what it’s all about, and they sure made us work really hard. Their backs were quick to the holes and strong going through them, and they didn’t go down easy.
“Finishing 4-2 against this conference is nothing to sneeze at, and we got better every single week. Even this week we worked hard, and after a slow start didn’t just go through the motions. It was game week, and we had a good week right to the end.”
The Crusaders opened the game with a march to the MC 5, but a fumble cost them that first score. The Cougars, not the least bit intimidated by the larger MA defenders, drove from their own 14 to the Cru 23, chewing up more than 11 minutes before Donnie Zitt recovered an MC fumble.
Slapped awake, Marquette renewed its physical play and, helped by a 20-yard pass from Graham to Jake Thomas, made it to the red zone, where Graham took it in from the 1 for a 6-0 Cru edge.
On the ensuing series, Vic Mullen sacked MC quarterback Logan Kuberski for a 15-yard loss and that, teamed with a short punt, set off MA’s second score, a 25-yard scoring pass to Nelson that with Tom Durdan’s PAT run made it 14-0 at halftime.
A fumble recovery by Pat McGrath and an interception by Thomas ended the next two home series. Reynolds charged in from 2 yards away later in the quarter, then added the conversion run for a 22-0 Marquette lead.
He added his second score in the fourth quarter from 3 yards out for the final TD. Vinnie Battestelli chipped in the conversion for the final.
“Shane had a terrific night, and I’m really happy for him,” Jobst said. “Vic caught a nice pass. I’m happy for him, so all of them got the chance to go out in style.
“We got a lot of good experience for our young kids this spring. You know, the fall season is right around the corner. It’s coming fast. … But, that said, we are surely going to miss the seniors. What a great bunch of kids, hardworking. They’re quite a group, and we’re going to miss them.”